


Dancing in the Rain

by Strayycarrot_1317



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-18
Updated: 2019-06-27
Packaged: 2020-05-14 06:04:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19267306
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Strayycarrot_1317/pseuds/Strayycarrot_1317
Summary: Y/n just moved to Seoul to live with their mom. When they signed up for a dance class, the last thing they expected was to run into one of their favorite K-pop idols, Dino from Seventeen. And not only is he just as kind as y/n thought he would be, he also somehow always knows how to be there when they need him the most.But there's no way he could ever develop feelings for them, right? After all, he's just being nice.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> No gender assigned for reader. This is mostly fluff, nothing graphic, but y/n does get assaulted so if that's a trigger for you, please be careful!

Chapter 1.

Rain falls heavy on a Tuesday evening. It's the kind of weather that makes you want to curl up under a bunch of blankets with a good book, relaxing to the rhythm of the raindrops.

With a sigh, you get up and stretch your arms over your head. Sadly, today you don’t have time to relax. The dance class you signed up for on impulse a week ago is starting in half an hour, and you still don't even know what to wear. You're not really into fashion, and most of the time you don’t really care what people think about your outfit, but you still want to make a good first impression.

Nervously, you open your dresser and skim your fingers along your favorite outfits. It's only been a month since you moved to Seoul, and classes haven't even started yet, but you already wish you could go back home. Taking a deep breath, you finally decide on the blue hoodie with the red outline of a fire-breathing dragon on it that your dad bought for you on your last shopping trip together, and black leggings that are incredible soft and fit like they were made just for you.

Once you're dressed, you pull the hood over your head and step outside, only to notice that it's stopped raining. The weather is very strange here. Humming your favorite song, you walk to the bus station.

The bus station isn't very crowded, but you're still glad that it isn't quite dark yet. The sun will go down soon though. You shiver, worried about being alone in a city that isn't quite familiar yet.

The bus arrives soon after, and you follow the couple next to you and take a seat. You notice your hands are shaking, so you pull out your headphones and turn on the song that always manages to calm you down.

Across from you, a man is staring at you. He's clutching a big messenger bag. Your imagination goes wild, coming up with a multitude of weapons he might be hiding. How often do people get murdered on buses, you wonder idly, turning down the volume of your phone as your stop gets closer.

You scouted out the route yesterday so you know where to get off, and you feel relieved when you get off the bus unharmed and see the neon lights of the dance studio in the distance. You hurry across the road, avoiding puddles here and there. The favorite part of your song makes you grin and walk in time with the beat. You soon see a bunch of people your age waiting in front of the building, talking animatedly.

You swallow, and walk up to the girl closest to you and tap her on the shoulder.

"Excuse me, are you here for the dance class, too?", you say, as always worried about your pronunciation as it's only been a few years since you started learning Korean.

"Yeah, I'm Min Ah, and this is Ji Woo". She gestures to the girl next to her. "What school do you go to?"

You tell her your name and school, and they're delighted that the three of you go to the same school.

"I just moved here to live with my mom", you explain, slightly emboldened by their kind attitude. "I lived with my dad in Paris before, and I'm still getting used to everything here."

You continue talking about your experiences so far in Korea and what school will be like, until the dance teacher shows up to unlock the door.

"Where is he?", Ji Woo whispers, hectically looking around.

"Who?", you ask.

"Didn't you hear? Seventeen's Dino is supposed to show up today."

"Seriously?" You stop in your tracks. Min Ah has to drag you through the doors and along the hallway. You stumble along, barely processing your surroundings. Seventeen is one of your favorite k-pop groups. You can't believe that you might get to meet one of their members.

Once everyone is assembled in the practice room, the teacher asks you to sit down and listen. You sink to the hardwood floor beside your new friends and wait patiently as the room becomes quiet.

Suddenly the door swings open and everyone's head turns towards the straggler in unison. Your jaw falls open and you hear gasps and excited whispers all around you. Dino strides in, looking perfect even in casual clothes. His bleached blonde hair glows like a halo in the studio's light. He's surrounded by an aura of confidence. His familiar smirk makes you blush.

"Hello everyone! I'm Dino from Seventeen. It's so nice to meet you all." Everyone claps. Slightly confused, you join in.

"Maria here is an old friend of mine, so when she asked me if I would like to say a few words to her new students, I thought why not." He looks at the dance teacher, fondness clear in his eyes.

"You're all here because you love to dance, right?"

"Yes!", everyone shouts, probably a little more enthusiastically than necessary.

"You're bright red. Are you okay?", Min Ah whispers, drawing your attention away from Dino.

"Yeah, it's just hot in here", you whisper back. You start pulling your hoodie over your head, but stop when you hear snickering. The air feels cool against your bare stomach. Embarrassed, you take it off the rest of the way and hastily push your shirt back down. When you finally look up, everyone is staring at you. Including Dino.

Before you can say anything, the dance teacher, Maria, saves you by clapping her hands together and declaring that it's time to warm up.

You get up and find an empty place as everyone lines up in rows and waits for further instructions.

Maria turns the music on and returns to the front. Realizing that you're still holding your hoodie, you throw it behind you against the wall, where hopefully it won't be in anyone's way.

The warm-up starts, and along with your muscles, your mind relaxes more and more. People are focusing on the exercises now, hopefully having forgotten all about your little mishap.

You bend over, stretching your side, and your eyes land on Dino. He's quietly talking to Maria on the side. His bright voice fills the room as he laughs at something she said. They seem very close. It occurs to you that they might be more than just friends. Dating may be taboo for k-pop idols, but that doesn't mean they don't do it in secret. After all, they're only human, you muse. Incredibly talented, but still human.

When the warm-up session is over, the real work-out begins and after a few minutes you question whether it was such a good idea to sign up for this class. You're not exactly out of shape, but you're not an athlete either. The only exercise you get is riding your bike everywhere and dancing around in your room. You begin to sweat as you try to remember all the moves to the choreography you're learning, but still somehow end up tripping over your feet and bumping into the girl in front of you.

"What's wrong with you?", she yells, shoving you away with enough force to make you lose your balance again. Before you can even grasp what's happening, someone catches you, safely putting you back on your feet.

"Are you alright?", Dino asks, his voice right next to your ear. Your heart beats wildly. You turn your head slowly and find him staring at you with a worried look on his face. You look away quickly, afraid of making even more of a fool out of yourself. You didn't even notice that he was behind you.

"Yes", you mumble, quickly getting back into the choreography so as to not make a big deal out of it.

 

When the lesson is over, you are drenched in sweat. You tie your hoodie around your waist and wave goodbye to Min Ah and Ji Woo after switching phone numbers with them. You smile as you walk back towards the bus stop, happy that at the very least you've made two new friends who, come next week, will be in school with you. At least you won't have to go to school without knowing anyone.

You didn't even realize that the class was let out late until you see the last bus disappearing in the distance. Shrugging, you turn in the direction that leads home. You've prepared for this possibility. You know exactly how to get home. The only problem is that it is dark now, and the roads are practically deserted. You stuff your headphones in your ears and turn on Seventeen's latest album. Fitting, you think. You whistle along to the melody and make your way through the gloomy city.

Your music is too loud. You can't hear the footsteps of the man who's following you. Suddenly, you get dragged into an alley to your left. Your headphones are ripped out of your ears as a large fist connects with your face. The back of your head slams into the wall from the force of the impact. You slide down, your face scrunched up in pain. You curl into a ball and close your eyes tightly, anticipating another blow.

"Hey! Get away from her!" The voice comes out of nowhere. "I'm calling the police!" Footsteps, some leaving, some getting closer. Someone touches your shoulder. You flinch and whine, trying to scoot away.

"Hey. Hey. It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you." It's the same voice, but it's soothing now. Familiar. You open your eyes to see Dino above you. You don't think, just react, throwing yourself at him. You wrap your arms around his neck and hold on for dear life. Meanwhile, Dino’s reassuring words slowly calm you down.

Once the shock starts to wear off, you pull back and look away.

"Thank you", you say without looking at him. "I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't been there."

"Y/n, isn't it?", he asks. You nod, surprised that he knows your name.

"You shouldn't be walking alone this late."

You sigh. "I know. I just missed the bus and -" While you're talking, the first raindrop hits your shoulder. You frown up at the starless night sky. Of course it couldn't stay dry long enough for you to get home.

"Come on, I'll walk you home." Dino helps you up carefully and drapes his arm around your shoulder. It's not really necessary, but having him so close to you makes you feel safer, like nothing can happen to you as long as he's there.

"Thank you again", you speak up after a while of the two of you walking in silence. "I don't know how you found me, but you probably saved my life."

"I was just in the right place at the right time, I guess." He shrugs and smiles. "So did you enjoy the dance class?"

Taken aback by the sudden change of topic, you look at him a little too long. His smile is infectious, and it makes you feel things you shouldn't be feeling, not at a time like this.

"Well I mean I made a complete fool of myself, but apart from that it was great". You laugh, remembering with shame that he has probably seen your tummy. He laughs too. It's such a beautiful sound. You can't help but stare at the way he just radiates happiness wherever he goes. That's one thing that originally drew you to k-pop. Of course, the music is amazing and the choreographies are truly stunning, but the reason you really admire guys like Dino is their amazing personalities. Up until now, you've never met such a kind, funny, smart and hard-working guy.

Dino giggles, drawing your attention back to reality.

"Would you like to take a picture?", he asks. And then he winks. You roll your eyes.

"I don't need a picture, there's enough of those all over the internet."

He obviously didn't expect that reaction. His hand tightens on your shoulder.

"You don't want a picture of your guardian angel?", he jokes.

You-", you poke his side, "are not an angel." You think back to all the fancams you've watched, biting your lip as you realize that he really is the same guy you used to fantasize about.

"You're blushing again", Dino states, grinning.

You sigh and push his arm off your shoulders.

"I'm glad I entertain you". Your voice is dry. The rain is getting heavier now, drenching your hair and your clothes. You look down and gasp.

"My hoodie!" You look back and start walking in the direction you came from, but Dino grabs your hand and pulls you back.

"I'm sure it's still in the alley. I'll pick it up on my way back. Don't worry about it now."

He pauses and thinks, then shrugs off his jacket and hands it to you.

You frown at him, momentarily mesmerized by the way the raindrops cling to his eyelashes. You take the jacket and put it on. Even though the jacket is cold and wet, you're not about to reject the sweet gesture.

The two of you start walking again, the sound of your footsteps accompanied by the sound of the rain.

When you get to your front porch, you turn and hand back his jacket.

"Why are all the lights off? Where are your parents?", he asks, clearly worried.

You shrug and pull the key out of your pocket.

"My mom works a lot." You open the door and turn around to say goodbye.

"Thanks again, for everything". It's not enough. He literally saved your life. You feel like you need to do something to show your appreciation, but you have no idea what.

"Are you sure you're going to be okay on your own?" He's hovering on the doorstep, his hands shoved into his pockets.

You smile.

"I'm fine. Don't worry. I'm used to being alone." You didn't mean for that to sound so bleak. He must think you're a total loser.

Dino tilts his head and thinks. Finally, he steps back and waves.

"Bye", you say, quietly, wishing he'd stay.

"Bye", he says. Then he turns around and walks away in the rain, pulling his hood up as he goes. He doesn't look lonely. He looks like he owns the road he walks on. You just wish you could be that confident. Sighing, you finally close the door and go inside.

When you look at your reflection in the bathroom mirror, you groan. You're a complete mess, hair frizzy and make-up running. Not to mention the huge bruise on your cheek. It's not fair. He got wet too, yet the rain only made him look undeniably hot. You, on the other head, look like a wet dog. You hop in the shower and let the hot water relax your muscles. You hiss when the water hits your face and the back of your head. Carefully, you touch the sore spots. Thankfully there's no blood, so you decide that it can't be too bad. You do feel a little lightheaded, but it must just be the shock of what happened. When you step out of the shower and wrap yourself into a towel, you feel exhausted, but comfortable at the same time. You decide to lay down for a minute, but end up falling asleep as soon as you close your eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How will y/n get their hoodie back?

Chapter 2.

Your mom wakes you up the next morning. Well, technically all she does is stick her head into the room and shout "Wake up!".

Groaning, you roll out of bed. You wince when your cheek brushes against the mattress. Your cheek is even more sore now than it was last night, and it feels swollen too. After you get dressed, you do your make-up and gently apply concealer over the bruise. You don't want your mom to get worried. She probably wouldn't notice anyway, but you don't want her to yell at you for getting into trouble.

When you finally leave your room, your mom has already disappeared in her study, working as always. It's usually best to leave her alone when she's busy, so you walk into the kitchen and make yourself breakfast. Normally you would make her something, too, but you realize that she's already eaten because of the dirty dishes in the sink.

After you eat and wash the dishes, you take your favorite book and blanket and snuggle up in the reading nook by the window. After a while you put down the book and just stare out of the window into the sunlit yard. A few water droplets are still dotting the window, sparkling like pearls. Through them, you watch the reflection of the partly cloudy sky in a puddle. You can't believe Dino was standing there just last night.

Absentmindedly, you rub the bump on your head. You grit your teeth as you remember the sheer panic that gripped you moments before Dino showed up. You don't even want to imagine what would have happened if he hadn't been there.

The annoying beeping of your phone distracts you from your dark thoughts. As you unlock your phone, you see just how late it is. You've been sitting there for hours. The text is from Ji Woo.

"Why is Dino wearing your hoodie?", it says.

Frowning, you quickly type a response.

"What do you mean???"

Not a minute later, Ji Woo answers.

"Didn't you see the pics from this morning? He was wearing it at the fansign!"

A quick search later, you gasp. She's right. That's definitely your blue dragon hoodie, the one you lost last night. The one he said he would find for you. But he never said anything about wearing it! You scroll through the comments, and a particular one catches your eye.

"This is one of my favorite looks on him!!!*heart eyes emoji*", you read.

You giggle. The fan is right, the hoodie looks amazing on him. You also notice that he must have washed it. You're relieved that the rain didn't ruin it, and that it's not lost after all. But one question remains: How are you going to get your hoodie back?

"He must have found it", you text Ji Woo, realizing she's still waiting for an explanation, but not wanting to repeat everything that happened last night.

"And he just kept it? That's not very nice."

You chuckle.

"What else was he supposed to do? I'm sure he's way too busy to find me just to return a hoodie!"

"But why is he wearing it?"

"I have no idea. It's not like he doesn't have any clothes."

You frown and think it over.

"I guess he just likes it", you add.

"Min Ah says you should call Maria. Maybe she knows how to contact him so you can get it back", Ji Woo writes. You hesitate. A new message comes in. It's from an unknown number.

"Hey is this y/n?"

You raise your eyebrows. How did someone get your number? You've only given this number to Min Ah and Ji Woo. And Maria, through the sign-up sheet, you remember.

"Yes, who is this?", you type back, hoping that it's Maria and not some creepy stalker.

"It's Dino. Just letting you know, I have your hoodie!"

You laugh.

"Never mind, he just texted me.", you inform Ji Woo. Then you switch back to Dino's message.

"Thank you so much! I thought I'd never see it again!"

"It's very cool. Def suits you ;)"

"Are you saying I'm as fierce as a dragon? That's probs the best compliment I've ever gotten :)"

"You're welcome :D"

You stare at the phone in your lap, still confused as to why he would go through so much trouble just to give you your hoodie back. You purse your lips and scroll through the photos of the fansign again. You're not so sure anymore if you even want it back. You kind of like seeing him wear it. It's crazy that it fits you both so well. It was pretty baggy on you, but he fills it out very well. The more you stare at Dino, the more you want to tell him to just keep it.

But then again, if he gives it back to you, it would give you an excuse to see him again. You try to ignore the butterflies in your stomach. You watch dots appear on your screen. Dino is typing again.

"So what's he saying??? Spill it we're both dying over here!"

False alarm, it's just Ji Woo again.

"Not much. I guess he's trying to figure out how to get it back to me."

"Awesome! Ask him out on a date while you're at it ;)"

You snort.

"Calm down, he's just being nice."

"Yeah, right *rolling eyes emoji*".

At the same time, Dino finally sends his message.

"Would you like to come by the dorm later to pick it up?"

You chew your lip and eventually decide that it would be too weird if you asked him to keep wearing it. You don't want him to think you're obsessed or something.

"Sure! Just give me a time and I'll be there."

You don't feel as enthusiastic as the message suggests. The first time he met you, you made a fool out of yourself, twice. Three times, if you count your dumb idea of walking home alone in the dark. No wonder he didn't want to leave you alone even when you got home. He must think that you don't have enough brain cells to even take care of yourself.

"And don't worry, I'll get there in one piece -.-", you add, fearing he'll appoint himself as your personal bodyguard or something. Not that you would mind having him by your side all the time. You shake your head and put your phone down. You can hear your mom rummage through the drawers somewhere in the house. Following the sound, you stop at the doorway to the kitchen and watch the spectacle as it unfolds in front of you.

Your mom, not by any means a tall woman, is balancing on top of a chair, trying to reach the plates on the top shelf.

At the same time, the water on the stove is boiling over. You rush to the pot and pull it off the heat as quickly as you can. The sound of water sizzling angrily as it hits the hot stove top grinds your ears.  
“Thank you sweetie!” Your mom jumps off the chair and it’s a miracle that she doesn’t drop the plates.

“You’re cooking?”, you ask, shocked. You’ve never seen her in the kitchen for more than a few minutes at a time before.

“Sure”, she says. She walks over to the pot and pokes a fork into the potatoes. You smile as you look around and take in the array of ingredients and cooking utensils strewn across the kitchen.

“Thank you, mom”, you say, your voice thick with emotion. You’re so used to taking care of yourself when you lived with your dad that it didn’t even occur to you that someone would do something like this for you.

“Can I help?”, you ask, already moving to the counter to cut up some more vegetables.

“That’d be great. I may be just a little bit in over my head”, she admits, relief coloring her voice.

“Of course. It’ll be great!”

It’s not long before the two of you have prepared a simple meal and are sitting together at the table, eating and chatting happily.

“So how was dance class?”, she asks.

Your face lights up as you tell her excitedly about your new friends and the awesome choreography you’re learning.

“And they even go to the same school!”, you exclaim.

Your mom’s phone rings. She leaves the room to answer it and the smile leaves your face. You know she won’t be back anytime soon. Her work is important, you remind yourself. You gather up the dishes and chuck the rest of your mom’s meal into the trash can. Sighing, you begin to wash the dishes by yourself.

When you get back to your room, you check your phone. There are several notifications.

“What’s going on?? You’ve got to tell us everything!” You smirk. Min Ah is just as nosy as Ji Woo.

“I’m going by their dorm to pick up my hoodie later”, you tell her. You switch over to Dino’s messages and stare at the last one he sent you.

“Of course you are. It’s not like you tend to trip over your own feet or anything:P”

You scrunch up yout nose.

“Ugh that was one time!”, you reply. “I can’t believe you’re coming for me like this!”

“You said yourself that I’m not an angel. I’m still curious why you think that btw”.

You roll your eyes. You don’t believe for a second that he doesn’t know exactly how much he drives his fans crazy every time he’s on camera.

“Have you seen yourself dance?”

“The real question is, have YOU seen YOURself dance?”, he shoots back. The question confuses you, so you just type a few question marks and wait on him to elaborate.

“Are you serious? How did you get so lucky?” Min Ah still won’t let this go.

“I’ve been asking myself the same thing”, you tell her.

You fall into your bed and stare at your ceiling, shaking your head. The real question is, when will your luck run out? Because it always does eventually, and usually at the most inconvenient time.

 

 

 

Evening sneaks up on you and before you know it, you’re standing at the address Dino sent you, stepping from one foot to the other. You’re not sure you’re actually ready for this. Meeting Dino was one thing, but you’re afraid you might suffer a heart attack if you come face to face with all 13 of your favorite idols.

Taking a deep breath, you raise your hand and rap against the door. One time, two times, three. Your heart is beating fast. You stick your hands into the front pocket of your second favorite hoodie and clench them into fists. If only you weren’t so nervous.

The door opens, and you look up, expecting Dino. It’s DK. “Hey”, he says. “You’re y/n, right?” You nod slowly, not quite trusting your voice. You follow him inside. Dino stands up when you enter the room. Dk disappears through one of the doors, leaving you alone with Dino.

“Hello”, you say, waving awkwardly. He walks over and raises his hand to your face, but hesitates before touching you.  
“Hey”, he whispers.  
“It looks worse than it is”, you try to reassure him. He doesn’t look convinced. Suddenly he turns around and gets your hoodie from the back of the couch.

You smile in thanks as you take it back. It smells like him. You look down and feel the soft fabric between your fingers, very aware of his eyes on you.

“You wore it”, you state, looking up, unspoken question in your eyes.

He blushes and scratches his head.

“Ah, I’m sorry about that. My stylist saw me with it and she wanted me to wear it”.

You nod and turn towards the door.

“It’s alright”, you say over your shoulder. “Thanks for giving it back”. It seems you’ll never run out of things to thank him for. 

You’re already out of the door when he calls after you.

“Y/n wait!” You turn around again and raise your eyebrows. He’s given back your hoodie. What else could he possibly want?

He doesn’t speak, just looks at you with an expression on his face that you don’t understand. Whatever he wanted to say, he can’t seem to find the right words.

You turn around and walk away. But you can’t shake the feeling that he didn’t want you to leave. If you didn’t know any better, you’d say he enjoyed having you around. You shake your head. The only reason he contacted you was because he had your hoodie. Now that you have it back, you need to move on. You can’t allow yourself to get lost in the illusion that someone like Dino could actually care about you.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Y/n meets Dino at the garden center

Chapter 3.

“See? I told you I could make it to your dorm and back without dying”.

You have no idea why you’re texting him again. But you just can’t stop thinking about him. At least before you met him you didn’t have memories of him talking to you, smiling, touching you haunting your every waking moment. And now it’s his fault that you can’t fall asleep.

“You got lucky. That proves nothing.”

“Why the hell are you awake?? It’s 3am!”

“I could ask you the same question”.

“You’ve got a busy schedule, I don’t!”, you explain.

“You still need sleep”. Why? On earth? Does he care?

“I can’t ok. There’s too much going through my head right now”.

“Tell me”.

You hesitate. You can’t tell him that he’s the reason. But if you’re being honest, there are plenty of other things that are keeping you awake. 

“Mostly I’m just worried about my brother”, you admit. “I haven’t heard from him in a while”.

“Oh? How old is your brother? Are you two close?”

“Yeah. He’s only my half-brother but we grew up together. He’s 7 so I feel like I practically raised him. The reason I moved here to live with my mom is that I got into a huge fight with my dad and he pretty much threw me out.”

You stare at the long text you just sent, already regretting opening up to Dino. You don’t know him that well and you’re not sure how he’ll react.

“Do you have any reason to believe that your brother isn’t safe?”

“No!”, You hurriedly reply. “I’m sure he’s fine. It’s just that he’s been getting bullied a little at school and I can’t protect him from that over here. He’s deaf but dad wanted him to go to a regular school. I’m just not sure it’s good for him.”

You think about your brother. Just because he can’t hear the other kids laugh at him doesn’t mean he isn’t aware of what’s going on. You remember how upset he was that one time when he came home from school. He’s always been fine at home since you and your dad know sign language, but you know that it’s hard for him to feel so alone, so different, so excluded when he’s around ignorant hearing people.

“Is your dad not helping him? Bullying is a serious issue and I understand that you’re a little worried.” 

You smile. It’s just like Dino to willingly give up his sleep to listen to your problems and do his best to help you.

“I just hope he’s ok. He hasn’t been replying to my texts.”

“Have you tried sending your dad a message?”

You frown, thinking about your last interaction with your dad.

“I’d rather not. He hates me.” You hope Dino won’t ask you to elaborate. 

“I’m sure that’s not true”.

You shake your head.

“You don’t understand”.

“Then help me understand! I want to be there for you”.

“Why?” It doesn’t make sense to you. He just met you, yet he’s being a better friend than any of your other friends ever have been. Why would he even want to be your friend?

“Why not? From what I can tell you’re an amazing person. If this is keeping you up at night, you shouldn’t have to go through it alone.”

You sigh. How do you deserve him in your life?

“My dad caught me kissing my friend. I didn’t think he was homophobic, but apparently I was wrong. I never knew how to tell him that I’m bi, and now I know that I was right to be afraid”.

“I’m sorry he reacted so badly. I bet that was very difficult to go through. You didn’t deserve to be yelled at”. You smile as you read his message. You never told anyone before, even your mom doesn’t know why you and your dad were arguing. It feels good to read those words.

“Thank you Dino. That’s exactly what I needed to hear”. You cringe at your word choice because obviously you can’t hear a text message. But you’re sure he understands what you mean. You think about what it would be like if he was there with you right now, sitting on your bed in the dark and saying those comforting words out loud.

“I’m here for you. Even if I can’t help much. Please know that you can always talk to me. I’m pretty busy most of the time but I’ll make time for you whenever I can”.

You roll your eyes. He needs to stop being so selfless.

“Just go to sleep already. I’ll be ok.'' And you know you will be. Somehow, whenever you’re talking to Dino, the world looks just a tiny bit brighter.

 

It’s Saturday, and you’re bored out of your mind. Your mom is working - in her world, weekends don’t exist - so you wrack your brain trying to come up with something useful that you can do, something that will distract you from the fact that Dino hasn’t texted you since that night.

Deciding that it’s time to stop staring at your phone, you put on an old t-shirt and some cut-off shorts and take the bus to the garden center. Your mom’s yard is bare and you love flowers, so you decide there’s no better way to spend your last Saturday before school starts planting flowers for your mom. After all, you live here now, so you have every right to add some splashes of color to the yard.

 

You walk through the aisles of the garden center with a huge smile on your face. You stop in front of a yellow rose and bend over to smell the flower. Your eyes are closed. Birds are chirping somewhere close by. It’s still wet and a little fresh since it’s early in the day, but the sun feels nice on your face.

The noise of a camera taking a photo has you open your eyes and turn around. Your eyes find Dino’s. He slowly lowers his camera and flashes you a bright smile.

“Hey, you’re supposed to be taking pictures of me!”  
Jun is standing several feet to your left, posing with another flower.

“Sorry”. Dino turns and snaps a picture of Jun.

You know you should probably leave them alone, but you can’t help being curious. You walk towards where they are looking at the photos together now.

“Can I see?”, you ask. You take the camera out of Dino’s hands and quickly flip through the photos until you get to the next-to-last one. It’s so zoomed in that you can’t even see Jun. You lean your head to the side. You look happy in the photo, carefree. You frown when you realize that your outfit is a lot more casual than theirs. 

“Uh, could I please have my camera back?” You look up.

“Oh, right”. You hand the camera back to Dino and for a split second, your fingers brush his. You blush and look at him. Your eyes meet and you can’t look away.

Suddenly, Jun clears his throat.

“Dino? I have to go.”

Dino doesn’t move.

“Go ahead, I’ll meet you later.” You watch his lips move while he talks. Why does he have to be so freaking hot?

You blink and take a step back. You shove your hands in your pockets.

“If you have to go, you-“

“-oh, no! It’s okay. I don’t have to go yet”, he interrupts. You nod. Silence spreads between the two of you. You both start speaking at the same time, then stop and laugh.

“You first”, he says.

“What are you doing here?”, you ask. This is the last place you expected to run into him.

“We were shooting a video nearby and me and Jun were just taking some photos for instagram.”

You shake your head. You never thought it was this easy to run into idols around here.

“I’ve been meaning to ask you. Why did you just leave like that?” Ah. The time you went to his dorm. You still don’t know why he tried to stop you from leaving.

“I didn’t want to bother you.” You shrug. Did he really think you were that obsessed with him?

“You would never bother me!”

“I’m just a fan.” A fan who knows to respect his privacy. A fan who is very aware of how kind he is and would never take advantage of that.

“You are?” He smiles. 

You cross your arms.

“Of course I am!”

“So what are you doing here?” The abrupt change of topic takes you by surprise.

“I just wanted to buy some flowers I could plant in the garden.”  
He pushes his hair back and grins. He’s like literal sunshine and you can’t help but feel warm standing this close to him. You watch his chest move with every breath he takes. Bad thoughts pop into your head and you try to stop staring.

“That sounds fun! Would you like some help?”

You tell yourself to say no, try to convince yourself that he’s only being nice. But it doesn’t work. You can’t dismiss the opportunity to spend more time with him.

You take a deep breath and look straight into his eyes.

“On one condition”, you say as you grab his hand and pull him back towards the plants.

“You let me cook you a meal to thank you for everything you’ve done for me.”

“Deal”, he says. He squeezes your hand and lets go. “How about that one?” He points at the Lilies. You nod. They’re close to blooming. Excitement bubbles in your chest as you imagine the beautiful colors that are going to fill the yard soon.

The two of you walk around and show each other all kinds of flowers. Dino grabs an abandoned cart and begins to fill it up while listening to your happy chatter. 

“I had a bunch of flowers on the balcony back in Paris. We didn’t have a garden but it was fun to take care of the plants. It gave me something to look forward to every day. It made life a little less bland.” You sigh. “I wish I could have taken them with me.”

Dino flashes you a smile.

“You’re getting new ones now. It sounds like a great hobby. It seems to make you very happy.”

You make me very happy, you think. But obviously you don’t say that out loud. You just stare ahead and try, unsuccessfully, not to blush. He’s walking right next to you and you can feel him stare. It feels surreal to have his attention focused on just you. 

He clears his throat. You whip your head around and regret it immediately. He’s just too perfect. You can’t figure out what he gets out of spending time with you.

“You have other friends, right?”, you ask.

He frowns.

“What kind of a question is that?”

You shrug.

“I was just wondering why you’re here with me instead of them.”

“Ah.”

It takes him some time to answer.

“You’re new here and your mom isn’t around much. I didn’t want you to be alone.”

“So you just feel bad for me?” You knew it.

He stops in his tracks and touches your shoulder.

“No. That’s not what I’m saying.”

You shake your head and start walking again, making a beeline towards the checkout register.

“Let’s just forget about it.”

 

The two of you get to your house, arms loaded with bags, an hour later. You direct Dino to the first flower bed you want to tackle. Then you fetch the tools you need from the shed while Dino takes the flowers out of the bags.

You work together, mostly in silence. It feels great to feel the dirt in your hands again. Something about working with nature just makes you feel at peace, no matter what else is going on in your life.

After you’re done, you turn on the hose to spray off your hands. You realize too late that Dino has come up behind you. Faster than you thought possible, he reaches around you and grabs the hose, turning the spray right in your face. You screech and chase him, laughing,until you finally manage to corner him against the wall. He turns off the hose and holds up his hands, pleading for mercy. You just wink and grab the hose. But before you can turn it back on he tackles you and both of you fall onto the grass, a tangle of limbs. At this point you’re sure that your neighbors can hear your laughter. You want to hold onto him forever, but before you know it he jumps up and reaches out a hand to help you get up as well.

“Thirsty?”, you ask, mostly to diffuse the tension but also because your throat is suddenly dry.

“Sure.”

You leave Dino outside to grab some drinks. When you return he’s laying on his back, eyes closed, face relaxed. You hand him his soda and sit in the grass beside him, legs crossed. You look up at the blue sky and the trees around the property swaying gently in the breeze.

“It’s a beautiful day.” Dino’s bangs fall into his eyes. You lean forwards and sweep them back, careful not to touch him too much. Before you can lean back, he grabs your hand and places it against his cheek. Your eyes widen but you don’t move. You hold your breath and time seems to stand still. 

Your phone vibrates in your back pocket. You shake yourself out of your trance and fish it out. Your eyebrows draw together in confusion when you see who has texted you.

“What’s wrong?”, Dino asks. He sits up. 

You look up at him. Worry has replaced the smile on your face.

“It’s my dad”, you say, voice shaking. “My brother is missing.”


	4. Chapter 4

You anxiously bite your bottom lip while you wait for your dad to pick up the phone.

Dino refuses to leave your side even though his phone has vibrated several times since you got that message.

“It’s okay if you have to go”, you assure him for the fifth time, but he just shakes his head and continues rubbing circles along your back.

“Finally! Have you heard from Matthieu?” Your father sounds legitimately scared. The color drains from your face. Part of you had been hoping it was just some cruel joke.

“No, dad. What’s going on?”

“I woke up this morning and he was just gone!” He sounded like he was crying. You can’t help but wonder if he would be this torn up if you were the one who was missing.

“Have you checked with Jean?” Jean is your next door neighbor. He’s always been nice to you and your brother so it wasn’t unusual for you to hang out there.

Dino squeezes your hand while you talk. You barely notice the tears rolling down your face. After a while you hang up and look at Dino.

“This is bad.” Before you know it, Dino pulls you into him and you are sobbing into his shoulder.

“He’s only seven”, you get out. Panic is making it hard to think clearly.

“If I hadn’t left-“

“This is not your fault!”, he interrupts you.

“I don’t know what to do.” You pull back and wipe your face. You should have never left. How could you have been so stupid, so selfish?

“Is there any way you can go back? I think you need to be there with your dad right now. Can you try calling your mom?”

You nod slowly and pull out your phone again.

“Mom?”

“Hey is everything okay sweetie?”

“No.” Your voice cracks and for a moment you can’t speak. Dino squeezes your hand again. You take a deep breath and tell your mom what happened.

“Oh my god, that’s horrible! What can we do to help?”

You hesitate. You just moved in with her. She seemed so happy when you told her you wanted to live with her. You don’t think she would be happy to hear you want to go back to your dad already.

“I need to go back to Paris, mom. I can’t just sit here while Matthieu is missing.”

Your mom’s answer is instant.

“I’ll be home in thirty minutes. We’ll get you on a plane as soon as we can. Don’t worry sweetheart, everything is going to be okay.”

Somehow you doubt that anything is ever going to be okay again.

You’re worried your dad will treat you the same way he did the last time he saw you, but hopefully the fact that his son is missing will be more important to him than who you like to kiss.

You really don’t know how you can help. All you can do is wait and it’s killing you. Matthieu is somewhere out there, all alone, and even when you get home you still won’t be able to be there for him. 

 

 

Once you land in Paris, your phone rings.

“Dad?”

“Y/n? This is Jean. You need to get to the hospital right now.”

You feel like your heart stops.

“Matthieu is hurt??”

“No, it’s your dad. They say he had a heart attack. Do you have a way to get to the hospital?”

Just like that, your world comes crashing down. You know that there are people all around you, but this is all just too much. Tears are streaming down your face and you can’t stop sobbing as you dial first Min-Ah, then Ji-Woo, and lastly Dino. None of them answer. That was the last straw. You leave Dino a voicemail, even though you’re almost certain he won’t be able to understand what you’re saying. At least there’s a chance he’ll call you back. You fall into a seat and bury your face in your hands. Why did you ever leave? None of this would have happened…

Someone is tapping on your shoulder. You look up at the friendly looking woman with your tear-stained swollen face.

“Are you okay dear?”

You just shake your head and the tears start falling again.

“There there.” She sits down beside you and offers you a tissue. “Tell me what’s wrong. Sometimes talking helps.”

“My brother is missing and my dad is in the hospital.” Your voice breaks. “And it’s all my fault. No amount of talking is going to change that.”

“Oh no dear. I’m sure it’s not your fault. Is someone coming to get you?”

“My dad was going to.” You try to blink your tears away and focus. “Our neighbor is with him. Maybe he can get me.”

You text Jean, hoping you’re not asking for too much. He answers right away and assures you that it’s no problem.

“I’ll stay with you until he gets here”, the nice lady says. She doesn’t say much as you wait, but it feels nice not to be alone.

At the hospital, you almost start crying again. You’ve never seen your dad like that. And to think that the last time you two spoke in person, you were arguing.

 

 

The days drag by. School in Korea starts without you. It takes a while, but eventually, Dino calls you back.

“Are you okay?” He sounds panicked. “What happened?”

“My dad had a heart attack. The doctors are saying that he’s going to be okay but I was so scared.”

“Oh god! I would’ve called you sooner but we just started our tour and-“

“It’s okay Dino”, you interrupt him. “I know you’re busy. I just really needed someone to talk to. But it’s not fair of me to expect you to be that person.” You still don’t even understand why he keeps talking to you.

“What are you talking about? We’re friends, right?”

“Friends?” When did that happen?

“I mean, unless that’s not what you want?”

“No no! Of course we’re friends.” The word feels weird in your mouth. You thought Ji-Woo and Min-Ah were your friends but they’ve been ignoring you. Dino on the other side is taking the time to call you even though he is on tour, just to check on you. Maybe it’s not too far fetched to call him a friend. You think about the last time you saw him. Maybe you could even be more than friends. You shake your head. Now is not the right time to think about that.

Talking to Dino again feels great, but it doesn’t change the fact that your brother is still missing.

 

 

Saturday, an entire week after Matthieu went missing, you are sitting on his favorite swing at the park and staring at your shoes, your frustration growing with every minute that passes. You can’t stop thinking that he would be fine if you had just stayed. You never even checked to see if he had a problem with you leaving. 

Your phone vibrates. It’s Dino. He’s been checking in with you periodically all week.

“Anything new?”

“No. I feel so freaking helpless.”

Just as you send your reply, a new message pops up. Your heart stops. It’s from Matthieu’s phone.

“You came back and you didn’t even think to call me?”

You frown. Your heart beats fast as you type back.

“Matthieu! Where are you? We’re all worried about you!”

“He’s with me. Don’t worry he’s fine. I just needed a way to get you to come back.”

You hold your breath. Dread settles in your stomach.

“Who is this? Where is my brother?”

“It’s Dominique. I can’t believe you’ve already forgotten about me.”

You put your phone in your pocket and take off to Dominique’s house. They’ve been your friend since you were kids. You grew up in the same neighborhood, just outside Paris, and you were always thick as thieves. Until you kissed, that is. And then you moved to Korea.

You didn’t think it was a good idea to talk to them, seeing as you moved and you didn’t think you would ever see them again. But that is about to change.

You storm through the front door and into the living room. Matthieu is sitting on a chair, looking frightened but relatively unharmed. You give him a quick hug and make sure he’s okay, then you turn to Dominique.

“What the hell is wrong with you?”, you scream, pushing them against the wall.

“Are you serious? What was I supposed to do? You just left!”

“So you took my brother? He’s seven years old, for god’s sake! What were you thinking?” You are breathing heavily. Your hands are balled into fists. You want to hit them so badly. Your brother pulls on your sleeve and shakes his head.

“Let’s go”, he signs. You nod and take his hand, pulling him out of the house.

Dominique should know better than to follow you. But they don’t back off.

“Are you just going to leave me again? At least tell me you’ve missed me. Or have you already moved on to the next one?”

You stop and turn around, fixing them with an icy stare.

“Stay away from me and my family.” You speak slowly, trying to get through to them.

“No! I love you, y/n. I’m not going to let you walk away again!”

You sigh and pick up your phone.

“I’m going to call the police. I’m warning you. Don’t get any closer.” You push Matthieu behind you. Dominique is still coming towards you.

You make your call, walking backwards until you’re up against the side of a house. You look up to the window, but the lights are off. It’s too late in the day for people to be out in the streets. There’s nobody who can help you.

For a moment you think about Dino. If he could, you’re sure he would protect you. But he’s not here. No, this time, you’re on your own. Even worse, Matthieu is there.

“Please, Dominique, you don’t have to do this.” You lift up your arms to try to calm your former friend, who has come to a stop right in front of you.

“Why did you leave?”, they ask.

“My dad threw me out. I didn’t have anywhere else to go!”, you explain. You thought they knew this.

“Bullshit! You could have stayed with me.” They raise their hand and cup your face. You shiver. You can’t believe you once had feelings for this person. Now all you want to do is get as far away from them as possible.

You take a deep breath and slap their hand away. Then you push against their shoulders, hard enough to make them stumble and fall into the grass.

“Run”, you quickly sign to Matthieu and you take off, running all the way home. The further away from them you get, the louder the sound of sirens grows. And the safer you feel.

It isn’t until you close the door behind Matthieu that you stop running and try to catch your breath. Your heart is beating fast and you feel like you can’t get enough oxygen into your lungs.

You’ve never been so happy to be in the comfort of these four walls, but now that you have your little brother by your side again, you can finally calm down.

He’s safe, you tell yourself. He’s safe. I’m safe. We’re okay.

 

 

“What are you going to do?”, Dino asks later, when you’re laying on the couch in Matthieu’s room, way too scared to leave his side while he sleeps.

“I don’t know”, you type back.

“Are you staying in Paris?”

“I’m not sure. I’m afraid of what Dominique might do if I leave again.” You bite your lip. You still can’t believe they went this far just because you left.

“I understand if you want to stay, but I’m going to miss you. I mean, I know we can’t hang out a lot anyway, but it sucks to be so far away from you.”

 

 

The next message wakes you up. Apparently you fell asleep without even answering.

“So where do you want to meet up?” You’re still sleepy, but you’re pretty sure that sentence doesn’t make any sense.

“Excuse me?” You sit up and look over to Matthieu. He’s still fast asleep.

“We’re in Paris. Surprise! I want to see you!” You gasp.

“Seriously??”

“Yes! I don’t have much time. Give me an address and I’ll meet you there.”

You hastily give him your address. You can’t believe he’s actually here. You’ve been so busy worrying about your dad and Matthieu that you never even checked their tour schedule.

“Be there in half an hour!”, he texts. You sneak out of Matthieu’s room and quietly put on some clothes. Your heart is beating fast. He seemed so excited to see you again.

 

 

Rain is falling in a soft mist. The streetlight nearby emanates a warm glow.

You figure it will be a while before Dino gets here, so you take out your phone and put on your rainy day playlist. Headphones in your ears and eyes closed, you raise your face up towards the sky. You can feel every single raindrop on your skin. You sway to the music and relax, feeling more at home than you have in quite some time.

The hands on your shoulders make you jump and pull out your earbuds, but then Dino whispers a soft “hi” into your ear and you melt back into his embrace.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have come up behind you like that”, he murmurs as he sways with you, his arms around you and his chest against your back. You don’t want to open your eyes in case it’s just a dream. It feels so good to let him hold you like this, without saying a word, enveloped in the gentle rain.

When you finally turn around, you can barely make out the expression on Dino’s face. He looks nervous, maybe?

You take his hand and put it on your cheek, mirroring what he did just a week ago. Touching him gives you comfort. You’re incredibly thankful that he took the time to see you in the middle of the night.

“Y/n?” You step closer to Dino. Now your faces are only a few inches apart. You hold your breath as you wait for him to continue.

“I really like you”, he says, rushing through the words. Before you can answer, his lips are on yours and you close your eyes, forgetting everything but the rain on your face and his skin on yours.

A harsh sound in the quiet night finally makes the two of you break apart. A camera? You look around, trying to make sense of what you heard.

“Ah, this isn’t good.” His voice is still soft, but Dino steps further and further away from you. Then, without another word, he turns around, and runs into the darkness, leaving you alone and utterly confused.


End file.
